PPP088: This One is Dedicated to the Piano, of course!

16Apr 2018 by Shelly Davis

How could Episode 88 be about anything other than the instrument that brings us together every week? The piano!

Listen to the full episode here

Resources on the history of the piano:

We first told you about a book explaining the history of the piano in Episode 080: Ten Books to Read with Your Piano Kid

“The Music of Life: Bartolomeo Cristofori & the Invention of the Piano” by Elizabeth Rusch.

The Metropolitan Museum: The Pianos of Bartolomeo Cristofori

Resources on the design of the modern piano:

Steinway & Sons About Page

“Every STEINWAY & SONS grand and upright is a masterpiece of craftsmanship and a consummate work of art. Each STEINWAY piano, consisting of more than 12,000 individual parts, has its own musical character and is as unique as the individual who plays it.”

Steinway & Sons Artists Profiles

I am not a piano expert but I found this interesting video that explains some the specific parts of the piano keys.

This video demonstrates the function of the piano pedals.

This iconic piano piece celebrates its 208th anniversary April 27, 2018

There is a lot of speculation and mystery about who the “Elise” was for which Fur Elise was written. Was it Therese Malfatti von Rohrenbach zu Dezza, a friend and former student of Beethoven’s? Could it have been Elisabeth Rockel, a German soprano, also a friend of Beethoven’s?

This article from the History Channel offers more information.

No matter who it was written for, Fur Elise is one of the most often played and requested pieces for pianists.

“Ludwig van Beethoven’s most important achievement was raising instrumental music to the upper echelons of art, when it was previously considered inferior to vocal music, and literature and painting. Through pieces such as “Für Elise”, he showed how a simple piano composition could contain as much emotion as any other art form.”

#Pianosinunexpectedplaces

So far I have found pianos at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Crazy Horse Memorial, Newman’s Castle in Bellville, Texas.

When you are traveling with your family and spot a piano in an unexpected place, please snap a photo and post it to Instagram with the hashtag #pianosinunexpectedplaces